The first thing to consider is what parts do you want? How many of the 64 pots should be rotary and how many should be faders? What colours should the LEDs have? How should the buttons look? These questions may seem very basic, but you have to start somewhere, and without any idea how you want the finished product to look you'll just end up confused in the maze of different components out there. Next thing to do is build a parts list based on your decisions. You can use an existing one out there, or do your own if you know what you're doing. I recomend that you order sockets for the ICs too, not just the PIC. The ICs are quite fragile to heat and sockets makes soldering easier. Feel free to use my order list below, but note that Farnell is quite expensive!
My parts: The faders,
the pots and all the electrostatic bagged stuff.
There are many places you
can order the components. Farnell is mentioned, they are world-wide and in
many countries the only company who delivers the PIC
needed (PIC16F877). RS is also an alternative. If you live in
Germany consider Reichelt. If you're in Scandinavia try Elfa.
For more options see Thorsten's page about the subject here.Make sure you get everything in
one order, because ordering only a few parts from a
mail-order company is usually pretty cost ineffective. If
you forget to order something, check your local area for
shops or companies that do electronics before you order
seconds. At least I've had the experience that companies
always has a IC or two to share with some guy in trouble
if you ask politely :)
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